N53 Minor works outside Dundalk

cargo · 08-10-2011 11:24am #1

Just outside Dundalk on the road to Castleblaney they are taking a few bends out of it and realigning a junction or two, about 1.5kms in total. On the map below doesn't look too bad but it's a nasty little stretch and very dodgy in the wet/ice.

Marked here http://g.co/maps/98bn8

Gibson Bros from Banbridge seem to be the lead contractor on the job and are making good progress last time I passed.

This is the only link to the works I can find from the Louth CoCo website but the bottom of that page has a CPO map showing the route to be constructed.

http://www.louthcoco.ie/en/Louth_County_Council/General_Notices/N53_Road_Improvement_Scheme_CPO.html

Here's a link to the next phase which is still at CPO stage but appears on a few tender notice websites also.

http://www.louthcoco.ie/en/Louth_County_Council/General_Notices/N53_Road_Improvement_Scheme_-_Phase_2_CPO.html

ardmacha · 08-10-2011 12:43pm

This is a useful piece of work, on road that has had a poor safety record, the junction with the L3122 was particularly dangerous.

The N53 in Louth is entirely straight, but undulating. I imagine it was originally built in a straight line over the hill there by the old church (18th century perhaps), then at some stage the bends were added to facilitate horse traffic by routing the road around the base of the hill and now they are largely trying to eliminate the bends. Such is progress!

Also see http://www.csea.ie/roads-bridges/n53-road-improvement-scheme/more

L1011 · 08-10-2011 12:52pm

Use this road quite frequently, very glad to see this is happening.

cargo · 08-10-2011 1:41pm

ardmacha wrote: »

This is a useful piece of work, on road that has had a poor safety record, the junction with the L3122 was particularly dangerous.

The N53 in Louth is entirely straight, but undulating. I imagine it was originally built in a straight line over the hill there by the old church (18th century perhaps), then at some stage the bends were added to facilitate horse traffic by routing the road around the base of the hill and now they are largely trying to eliminate the bends. Such is progress!

Also see http://www.csea.ie/roads-bridges/n53-road-improvement-scheme/more

Yeah if you look at the standard "map" version as opposed to the satellite image on the google maps page you can see there is a road in a straight line already as you say.

ardmacha · 06-11-2011 4:24pm

This is a video (at night) of the section to be upgraded, perhaps it also justifies the upgrade!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoLGT5KS-to

The first junction with the car waiting, will be come a staggered junction and the S bend where accident occurred is being straightened.

JupiterKid · 15-11-2011 6:52pm

Has actual work begun on this section yet?

cargo · 15-11-2011 7:23pm

JupiterKid wrote: »

Has actual work begun on this section yet?

The section referred to and marked in my OP is well underway. (will be finished early summer I'd say).

The 2nd phase I linked is the staggering of the cross roads referred to by ardmacha in his video. This is not underway yet. it starts after phase 1 is complete.

ardmacha · 15-11-2011 7:45pm

This is not underway yet. it starts after phase 1 is complete.

Cargo. I was up that way yesterday and work was underway at the crossroads. There seems to work along the entire length of the project.

cargo · 15-11-2011 9:47pm

ardmacha wrote: »

Cargo. I was up that way yesterday and work was underway at the crossroads. There seems to work along the entire length of the project.

Last time I passed it was just from after the crossroad and on out until just past Callans pub. They must have taken the Crossroad upgrade into this job so. Good stuff.

ardmacha · 15-11-2011 10:33pm

They must have taken the Crossroad upgrade into this job so. Good stuff.

They were removing the ditch on the northern side of the road and there is an outline of a new southbound side road closer to the M1 than the present crossroad.

Googling this it is nice to see that road safety is not given too high a priority on this route, one of the worst in the country.
http://www.argus.ie/news/councillors-go-against-engineers-advice-1836264.html

Anyhow it is good that this work proceeded before the portcullis descended.

cargo · 20-06-2012 11:49am

They've opened part of this already. The closest part to Dundalk (past the crossroad upgrade mentioned above).

You cut back onto the old road just at Callans pub and continue past it on the old route while the new route is still underway behind the pub.

Must say the surface / levels seem dreadful but it maybe it's, although fully marked, just be a temp surface while they tie-in various bits and pieces and it'll get a full resurface when all the works are done.

Will be a great help in the poor weather. Always see marks on the ditch / flattened signs on the old section it's replacing.

Irish and Proud · 20-06-2012 11:56am

cargo wrote: »

They've opened part of this already. The closest part to Dundalk (past the crossroad upgrade mentioned above).

You cut back onto the old road just at Callans pub and continue past it on the old route while the new route is still underway behind the pub.

Must say the surface / levels seem dreadful but it maybe it's, although fully marked, just be a temp surface while they tie-in various bits and pieces and it'll get a full resurface when all the works are done.

Will be a great help in the poor weather. Always see marks on the ditch / flattened signs on the old section it's replacing.

What approximately is the full length of the scheme? IIRC, I got conflicting information when I tried researching this before.

ardmacha · 21-06-2012 1:05am

The scheme is about 3km or so.

Work started on the western side, one wonders why the eastern side was first to open. The surface is not the finished one.

cargo · 21-09-2012 1:52pm

cargo wrote: »

They've opened part of this already. The closest part to Dundalk (past the crossroad upgrade mentioned above).

You cut back onto the old road just at Callans pub and continue past it on the old route while the new route is still underway behind the pub.

Must say the surface / levels seem dreadful but it maybe it's, although fully marked, just be a temp surface while they tie-in various bits and pieces and it'll get a full resurface when all the works are done.

Will be a great help in the poor weather. Always see marks on the ditch / flattened signs on the old section it's replacing.

Still going the "old" side of Callans on this scheme. Finishing works seem painfully slow on it. It looks like a good week would have it sorted but it just seems to be dragging on.

L1011 · 21-09-2012 7:21pm

The surface on the open section isn't the final surface (notice the height of the kerbs, etc), I suspect they're going to do the entire lot when its done so there'll be more than a weeks work.

However it does seem to be taking an age since the first bit opened.

ardmacha · 21-09-2012 11:58pm

The surface on the open section isn't the final surface (notice the height of the kerbs, etc)

This road seems to have a concrete gutter, a detail that isn't usual in Ireland, at least on the southern side of the border. Presumably this is Type 2 Single (7.0m) Carriageway, which would imply a narrow strip between the yellow line and this gutter. It doesn't seem all that wide.

Work is indeed slow enough, considering the dry weather in September.

cargo · 24-09-2012 12:30pm

ardmacha wrote: »

This road seems to have a concrete gutter, a detail that isn't usual in Ireland, at least on the southern side of the border. Presumably this is Type 2 Single (7.0m) Carriageway, which would imply a narrow strip between the yellow line and this gutter. It doesn't seem all that wide.

Work is indeed slow enough, considering the dry weather in September.

I noticed that alright but wasn't sure if it was a gutter or a base for installing steel crash barriers onto. Is there drainage built into the installed concrete?

L1011 · 09-10-2012 12:09pm

First bits of wearing course were going in yesterday. Definitely think the final section will only be opened when its completely done.

ardmacha · 28-10-2012 1:29am

Everything open now and wearing course in place other than 100m to be completed at the mid point where the join was with the old road.

cargo · 10-12-2014 12:07pm

cargo wrote: »

Just outside Dundalk on the road to Castleblaney they are taking a few bends out of it and realigning a junction or two, about 1.5kms in total. On the map below doesn't look too bad but it's a nasty little stretch and very dodgy in the wet/ice.

Marked here http://g.co/maps/98bn8

Gibson Bros from Banbridge seem to be the lead contractor on the job and are making good progress last time I passed.

This is the only link to the works I can find from the Louth CoCo website but the bottom of that page has a CPO map showing the route to be constructed.

http://www.louthcoco.ie/en/Louth_County_Council/General_Notices/N53_Road_Improvement_Scheme_CPO.html

Here's a link to the next phase which is still at CPO stage but appears on a few tender notice websites also.

http://www.louthcoco.ie/en/Louth_County_Council/General_Notices/N53_Road_Improvement_Scheme_-_Phase_2_CPO.html

Phase 2 of this is been mooted as progressing in the New Year. saw something in a local paper from local TD about it although it seems to talk about extending 1km to West (towards Hacksballcross) whereas the documents here go 1km to the East back to meet the M1.

ardmacha · 02-03-2015 8:43pm

cargo wrote: »

Phase 2 of this is been mooted as progressing in the New Year. saw something in a local paper from local TD about it although it seems to talk about extending 1km to West (towards Hacksballcross) whereas the documents here go 1km to the East back to meet the M1.

Work has started towards Hacksballcross, they are clearing a strip on the northern side of the existing route between the previous phase and the crossroads and seem to also be be doing something on the Blayney side as far as the Garda station.

This was the CPO
http://www.louthcoco.ie/en/Louth_County_Council/Latest_News/Compulsory-Purchase-Order-N53-Barronstown-to-Hackballscross.html

One wonders if they will further adjust the crossroad itself, the previous work was modest indeed, a turning island would seem warranted here.

cargo · 19-05-2015 10:20pm

I passed in this road the other day and they have the route fenced off. I didnt get a great look at the crossroad etc as i was ontop of the works before i noticed the fencing.

N53 Minor works outside Dundalk

Comments